Of Violet & Blonde
by GeminiMercedes
Summary: Drabbles of POLARSHIPPING aka JoeyxMai. A light love story between a high schooler and a college student AU R&R! COMPLETE
1. Chicken Soup for the Valentine Soul

Chicken Soup for the Valentine Soul

Xxx

"Uggh, I hate this!" Mai Valentine moaned as she blew her nose for the umpteenth time that day.

"Why did I have to get sick right before exams?" The blonde woman groaned. Mai was a second-year college student attending Domino College over the summer. She was behind in a couple of her courses because of her recent trips around the world.

She wasn't too upset though; the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas had been nice getaways.

But of course, there was a price to pay for all that downtime and now she had practically missed her summer by taking extra courses in order to catch up. She had been doing well though, straight A's in all her classes up until this point. The finals never really nailed her, most of the time her marks would drop by one or two percent because of the exam. It was never anything serious, or unexpected.

But the cold she contracted a couple days before her finals had _definitely_ been unexpected.

Here she was, surrounded by papers and textbooks, with a throbbing headache and a runny nose.

The doctor had said it was a common cold; it had been spreading a lot during the summer. And now looking back, she remembered seeing a lot of her classmates sucking on lozenges and bringing tissue boxes to class.

But she was pretty good at avoiding germs. Either that or her immune system was just really good. Then again it could also have had to do with her being a winter baby.

Whatever the case, she was here now, sitting on the floor in her living room with a tissue box and a whole semester of work to go over.

She was wearing purple sweatpants with a violet tank top, and her hair was tied back in a messy bun.

In her mind, she looked a mess. No one was allowed to see her.

She really didn't have too many friends at the college but she had given her high school friend, Tea Gardner, a call saying that she was sick and wouldn't be able to hang out that weekend.

Every once in a while she would hang out with Tea's group. They were strange, but they were a nice group of teens. She had gone to their high school but had graduated a couple years before them. She was still friends with them but she really only kept in contact with Tea and…

"Joey…he definitely can't see me now." She told herself aloud. Joey would definitely laugh at her appearance right now. That goofball always found a way to rain on her parade. Okay so _maybe_ she liked his company and _maybe_ she enjoyed his light-hearted jokes but he was still a dweeb and practically a kid compared to her.

"Wait, why am I even thinking about him? I have exams to study for!" She asked herself, before groaning from another wave of head pain.

That bottle of aspirin was looking pretty good right about now.

But before she could even reach over and grab at it she heard the doorbell ring.

"Now who could that be?" Even if it was Tea, she probably wouldn't let the girl in. She was sick, and stressed, and highly annoyed. And her makeup wasn't done.

Nevertheless, she got up from her sitting position and wobbled towards the door, wincing at the heavy pain flashing in her cranium.

"Who is it?" She yelled out before reaching for the doorknob.

"It's me Mai!" A cheerful and spirited voice shouted.

_Oh hell no. _

Tea had probably filled him in on her condition. Maybe they were worried.

Slowly but steadily, she twisted the doorknob and began to pull on the door. Standing there, 5'11, blonde and lanky, was Joey Wheeler, holding a glass bowl with a plate on top.

"Hey Mai, I heard-woah, are you feeling alright? I heard you were under the weather but it looks like you've been under the apocalypse," a broad smile never leaving his mug.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, because that _was_ pretty funny. But it was an insult, and it took every bit of compassion in her body to stop her from slamming the door in his face and possibly breaking his toe.

"What can I do you for, Joey? If you were talking to Tea than you know I'm busy." She brushed off his little side comment and stood up straight, hands crossed and resting right under her chest.

"I'm just kidding Mai, you look great. Can I come in?" He asked innocently. She stared for about a millisecond and then decided that it wouldn't hurt. Besides, she really wasn't even studying at this point.

"Sure, just watch out for all my stuff." She said sharply.

"Wow, that's a lot to study for! Aren't your exams in a couple of days?" He asked as he placed the bowl on her kitchen table and sat down beside her in the living room.

"Please don't remind me hun, so what's in the bowl?" She said pointing at the glass he brought in.

"It's Chicken soup! Tea told me you were sick so I whipped up a batch!" He replied with a smile full of pride. She couldn't help but blush. That had to be the sweetest thing ever.

"Our school already finished, and when I found out you weren't done yet I felt kind of bad, and then I found out you were sick so…" He trailed off noticing she was staring at him blankly.

"Well if you don't like it, it's okay." He said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"N-no, thank you so much! I'll try some right now, Joey I really appreciate it." She hoped her smile and warm words saved her from that situation. She was really impressed, and really happy he had done that for her.

"Do you want some too?" She asked as she grabbed two bowls and some silverware from the kitchen.

"Alright, it's pretty good I'm telling you." He said with a toothy grin. She believed him, and with that adorable smile, who wouldn't?

She poured some into the bowls and breathed in the steam that quickly rose. It smelled really good, and she could already tell that it would taste so much better.

She took a sip as she handed a bowl filled with soup and a spoon to Joey. The flavour danced on her taste buds. Who knew Chicken soup could taste so good? There had to be more than just chicken and broth in the soup because she tasted all kinds of herbs and spices mixed in with the liquid.

It was amazing, to say the least.

"This is fabulous Joey! It's really good." She said whole-heartily as she finished up her bowl quickly. Joey smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, it's a family recipe. If you have it every other day or so on, you'll get better soon. Or at least, you'll feel better."

"I already feel better knowing that you're here." She admitted absent-mindedly as she went for seconds. Her eyes opened in shock as she realized what she had just said.

However Joey laughed and shook his head.

"I'm glad I could stop by. And…I'm glad that you're glad I'm here." His words grew softer as he finished off his sentence, and he stared at her study notes that were thrown across the floor. Mai couldn't help but freeze for a moment and stare at him.

Her face was getting red, and she really didn't know what to say.

"W-well don't let it get to your head, Wheeler! I'm really just bored and needed some company, t-that's all." But her play off was about as successful as a missed shot. Joey smiled and winked at her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Mai. Now who's going to help you study all of these notes?" He grinned at her again and began to look over all of her study notes. Her face turned crimson red when he began to reach for a paper that she had scribbled _diary_ entries on.

…Diary entries that were about _him_, actually.

"Okay that's it! Out, Wheeler! I have to study and drink your delicious soup! No pouting, out!"

xxx

**This isn't really going to be a long and deep story, just a little romance between Joey and Mai. I think they are they cutest couple, and I wanted to write a couple of short tales about them. Going to update soon!**

**-GeminiMercedes- **


	2. It is NOT a date!

Of Violet & Blonde: It Is Not A Date!

Polarshipping!

xxx

"For the last time it's_ not_ a date!" The blonde duelist yelled from the change room to her brunette friend who was currently checking store racks.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Mai. Just try on that dress so I can see if it'll work." Tea Gardner answered back.

"I don't know what she's talking about…" Mai grumbled to herself, shimmying on a light violet bandage dress. She stepped out of the change room to check it out in the full length mirror.

"See, that one is cute!" Tea exclaimed as she walked back to the change room area. Mai had to admit, it was a nice dress. It clung to all her curves, and was nice and tight at the bottom, which was just above her knees.

"Yeah it's nice…but it's a bit too formal. We're just going to a pub last time I checked." She replied, still inspecting herself in the mirror.

"Well it's your first date! Don't you want to look your best?" Tea asked as she fiddled with the back of the dress, looking for the price tag.

"It is not a date! He just wants to hang out. And I didn't take it as anymore than that." She explained. Well that wasn't completely true.

When Joey had approached her about hanging out at this local pub he liked, she had actually been very excited. Her exams had just finished and she had been_ waiting_ for the blonde knucklehead to gather up the courage to ask her. Plus, she had to repay him for the excellent soup he had brought her.

"It is totally a date. Just keep this dress in mind if you like it. Wait, isn't the date tomorrow night?" Tea asked, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Uh yeah it is. Thanks again for helping today." Mai said, looking down in embarrassment.

She had really believed she could come up with an outfit that looked really nice for Joey. She had checked out her closet but most of her clothes revealed something. And she wanted to prove to Joey she wasn't that kind of girl even if she sometimes dressed like it.

"Wait, why do I even care about what he thinks of me?" She thought aloud in anger. She turned to see Tea looking at her like she was crazy.

"I think you're more nervous about this date then you let off." Tea said, patting Mai's shoulder understandingly.

Mai sighed out loud.

"Maybe you're right. Okay, this outfit is cute. Now I just need some shoes, and maybe a nice shawl."

"Good, now let's see what kind of shoes they have here. We might have to go to another store." Tea replied, starting to walk away to look for a shoe aisle in the department store.

Mai sighed again.

"Forget it girl, let's go take get lunch, I'm buying."

xxx

"It's just a casual outing, that's all." Mai said, trying for the tenth time that day to prove to Tea that the 'date' as she called it, was really nothing of the sort.

Joey and her were just friends…right?

"I still don't believe you. A casual outing would consist of jeans, a t-shirt, the park or a movie theatre." Tea was right.

"Touché, but still, it's just a kind of get together." The blonde tried to explain again.

But little did Mai know that Joey had been planning this for weeks. Tea knew that Joey had been going crazy thinking of exactly what to say when he asked her. And when he had returned to the group the next day with the great news, he had been ecstatic.

"Still, have a great time and enjoy the moment." Tea said as she dunked her chicken fingers in plum sauce.

The two girls had gone to the food court at the mall and were currently sitting and eating.

Mai had ordered a Caesar salad (light on the dressing of course) and Tea had ordered chicken fingers, fries, and a diet coke.

"I will, Joey better be a good date. I get bored easily." Mai admitted, sticking her fork in some lettuce and bringing it up to her mouth to chew.

"So you admit it's a date!" Mai almost choked on her salad when she heard a young boy yell out from behind her.

She turned around to see Mokuba just a couple of seats away, laughing loudly. When she began to glare at him he walked over with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, I was sitting a couple of seats away and overheard your conversation."

"Hey, Mokuba." Tea said politely.

"You should mind your own business." Mai said sharply before going back to her salad.

"Aw c'mon Mai, I was just joking." Mokuba said with a giggle. Mai couldn't help but smile. He was a kid after all.

"So what are you doing here, dweeb?" her own way of being _polite_. He ignored her comment and took a seat at the table with the two girls.

"I'm here to get a present for Seto. His birthday's coming up." Mokuba said with a smile.

"Aw, that's so sweet Mokuba. I'm sure your brother will like whatever you get him." Tea said with a wide smile.

"I hope so." Mokuba said with a smile, getting up from his seat.

"So what did you get him?" Mai asked, taking a break from her salad to drink some of her nutrient water.

"Can't tell! See you guys later!" He yelled as he took off. The two girls sighed and shook their heads.

"We don't even talk to Kaiba like that anyways." Tea said as she got back to her chicken fingers.

"I know right? Anyways…"

"Actually Mai I had a question for you." Tea cut her off, the brunette's voice became quiet, and she was looking around them suspiciously.

"Sure, but you're kind of freaking me out. What's wrong?"

"Um, I need to know…do you have any feelings for Joey?" She looked down at Mai's salad as she asked, almost as if she was too fearful to look her in the eyes.

Mai inwardly groaned. She should have known this would eventually come up.

To be honest, she didn't even know if she did or not. She liked Joey's company but she wasn't really sure if it went beyond friendship. At the same time, there was a strange but welcoming warmth in her heart that came around every time she was with the blonde knucklehead. She was secretly hoping this date would confirm her feelings.

"I don't know Tea. I'm actually not sure. Why, does he for me?" She was kind of hoping the brunette would just spill everything to her. But Tea was loyal, she probably wouldn't tell.

"I think that's up to Joey to tell you yes or no to that one." Tea replied quietly before going back to her fries.

_Exactly._

She saw that coming from a mile away. If she was going to get it out of Joey, she'd have to be cunning and sly at the date they were going to have.

_Well that's easy enough for me. _She thought to herself.

"Alright, we got shoes to shop for, let's go, I'm full." The blonde said in a cheery tone, finishing off her water and getting up from the table.

As she walked over to go dump her food tray, Tea was still at the table thinking.

"This _date_ is going to be very interesting…" She thought to herself before packing up her stuff and heading after the blonde duelist.

xxx

**Update! This chapter is more self-evaluation for Mai and how she's really feeling about Joey. Hopefully all her doubts will be cleared when the date comes around…anyways R&R!**

**-GeminiMercedes-**


	3. Report Card Shellshock

Of Violet & Blonde

Polarshipping

xxx

It was a beautiful day in Domino City. It was hot, but a cool breeze passed by every once in a while. While some were outside, basking in the sun and the beautiful weather, others were inside second-guessing their plans for that night.

In particular, Mai Valentine was cuddled up by her bedroom window-sill watching the neighbourhood kids' jump rope and play basketball.

"Why am I so unsure?" She was never this indecisive. She usually had a plan and would stick to it. But when it came to Joey, everything was just out of sync.

"Is this what he does to me?" She wasn't even sure _why_ she was unsure. Maybe it was because she didn't want to ruin their friendship if everything didn't work. Joey was one of her best friends, and if they got into a relationship and broke up, it would probably destroy the amazing friendship they had.

"Ugh! I don't want to be thinking about this right now!" She jumped up from her sitting position and grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a purple t-shirt.

If everyone else was going to enjoy the beautiful weather, she was going to as well.

xxx

She had decided to take a walk to clear her mind. But as much as she tried to block it out, the date kept reappearing in her thoughts. She was going to go, she had promised Joey that, but she didn't want to have to distance herself if things didn't work out.

"Maybe I could tell him that I want to keep our amazing friendship." She thought out loud.

She walked through the park and watched as some of the neighbourhood families set up picnics and let their children play on the nearby jungle gym.

She suddenly imagined her and Joey setting up a picnic area and letting their kids run wild.

_Wait a minute…kids? _She thought to herself, shocked at where her imagination had taken her.

"Joey and I with kids of our own? That's crazy, we aren't even dating yet." She thought aloud, shaking her head and starting her way back home.

"Maybe the sun is getting to me; I should have just stayed inside my air-conditioned abode." She said dryly, staring at the pavement as she walked.

But as she was almost at her house, she noticed the mailman walking away from her neighbour's home.

"I guess he just dropped off the mail, I wasn't expecting anything but…" Nevertheless, she grabbed the letters that were left on her doorstep, and headed inside.

She didn't even take off her shoes before she started shuffling through the letters and pamphlets the mailman had left her.

"Bills, bills, advertisements, coupons, bills, bills, Domino College, Bills…wait!" She backtracked and pulled out the letter from her College.

In black font were the letters "REPORT CARD: MAI VALENTINE"

She felt her heart drop. She had been enjoying ignorant bliss after her exams, pretending like she didn't know the school was eventually going to send her, her report card.

She wasn't scared that she hadn't done well, but you never know. These teachers can get crazy when they mark those exams.

She ripped open the package and took a deep breathe, staring down at the chart which showed her final marks for her summer courses.

_Good…Good…Wow, Great…Good…Not so Good…Wait what?_

One of her last marks wasn't bad per say, but it wasn't as good as what she had thought it would have been.

And she _knew_ she had worked hard in that class, and that's what hurt the most.

"Why do I always mess up in the end?" She said angrily as her vision began to blur.

"Will I never be good enough?" She screamed out in frustration, not even bothering to wipe the tears that were quickly rolling down her cheeks. She stood there, silently sobbing for a minute before she heard the phone ring.

She really didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but there was always the possibility that it was something important.

"H-hello?" She said softly as she picked up the phone, her voice slightly quivering.

"Hey, Mai! Just checking to see if we're still up for tonight." Joey's loud and excited voice emanated through the receiver crystal clear.

"O-oh, right, yes, we are." She had practically forgotten about that in her last few minutes of self pity.

"Are you okay, Mai? You sound like you've been crying." Joey's voice turned soft and caring, and Mai felt her heart skip a beat.

"I-I don't cry! I'm just, a bit under the weather." She lied through her teeth, hoping that would save her.

"C'mon Mai, I know you better than that. What's wrong?" She sighed as he responded, but decided it was best to tell the blonde what was wrong.

"I'm just upset with one of my marks. I thought I would do better than I did. That stupid exam must have bugged me out…" She said, finally wiping the tears from her face and sniffling a little bit.

"Aw Mai, it'll be okay. One lousy mark doesn't mean you aren't a smart person or that you aren't good enough. Everyone makes minor mistakes – well I kinda make more than the average Joe, but that's not the point!" He said with a laugh.

Mai couldn't help but smile, even though Joey couldn't see her doing it.

"Thank you Joey, I needed that." She replied honestly. _Why am I so happy all of a sudden?_

But she knew why, it was because of the adolescent blonde on the other end of the phone.

"Anyways, I have to start getting ready for tonight. What time are we meeting again?" She asked, quickly recovering from her former moment.

"7:30, if that's okay. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No thanks, Tea is giving me a ride, and yeah 7:30 is fine."

"Alright Mai! I'll see you soon" She could practically visualize his smile as he said this.

"Okay, bye Joey."

As the receiver went dead, she rested her back on the closer wall and slowly slid down it, sighing contently.

_Am I really falling for this kid?_

xxx

**Yes, another update! Hope you guys enjoy this one. I think I want to have a chapter, maybe before the date that is through Joey's POV. We will see. Anyways R&R as usual! **

**-GeminiMercedes-**


	4. Date Night

Of Violet & Blonde

Polarshipping

xxx

"Are you nervous?" Tea asked, as she went to Mai's bedroom to grab the shoes they had bought the other day.

"I- I don't know." Mai replied truthfully, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was already dressed in her violet bandage dress, gold hoop earrings, and pink lip gloss. As Tea brought over the shoes, the blonde barely made an effort to take them out of the brunette's hand as her eyes stayed fixated on the mirror.

"You look amazing Mai, Joey is going to speechless." Tea said with reassurance, almost reading the Blonde's mind. Mai was feeling a little self-conscious, but she quickly shook her head and regained her composure as she turned to her friend.

"Oh please Tea, I would be surprised if Joey's jaw _wasn't_ on the floor when he sees me." She huffed before sitting down on her bed and putting on her shoes.

"Oh course Mai, that's the spirit." Tea knew that Mai wasn't really feeling as confident as she was letting off, but she played along anyway.

Mai smiled at the brunette as she got up from the bed with her shoes on, and headed down her main staircase.

"C'mon Tea, I really don't want to be late!" She yelled as she got to the bottom.

"I didn't think you would want to be late for your date!" Tea yelled back with a laugh, only to see Mai glaring at her from the bottom of the staircase.

"It is _not_ a date!"

xxx

"I'm nervous, Yugi." Joey admitted to his spiky haired friend as he fixed his shirt collar in the bathroom mirror.

"I think you'll have a lot of fun, Joey. Don't let those nerves get to you." Yugi Motou replied as he sat on his bed, reading a graphic novel.

Joey had gone over to Yugi's house to get ready and the spiky haired teen was going to drive his best friend to the restaurant.

"I doubt Mai is nervous, that girl is ready for anything." Joey said with a sigh, still fiddling with his collar.

_Aren't you the exact same way? _Yugi thought to himself, shaking his head.

"That's true; Mai is a pretty determined and decisive woman." Yugi admitted.

"But that shouldn't stop you from having a great time. You'll be fine, I know it." Yugi continued.

"Yeah, you're right. Hey, do I look okay?" Joey asked as he turned to his spiky haired friend.

"You look great Joey, just don't be nervous." Yugi replied with a smile.

"I'll try, I never thought I'd say this but I really wish Tristan or even Duke was here to give me some not-so-kind advice." Joey said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead and walking out of Yugi's bedroom to go get his shoes.

"W-well, I think they're both busy tonight, it's too bad really." Yugi said with a grin that the blonde teenager didn't catch as he walked back into the room.

"You serious? They knew how important this night was to me." Joey said in a disappointed tone. He sat down on Yugi's bed to tie up his shoes.

"Hey, don't worry about them! Tonight it's just about you and Mai." Yugi said reassuringly, patting his friend on the back.

"Yeah, you're right Yugi. Thanks, man." Joey replied half-heartedly.

xxx

"Alright, we're here." Tea said as she drove up to the restaurant Mai and Joey were meeting at.

It was a classic diner, one you would see in any town that offered variety from pancakes, to burgers, to steaks and milkshakes.

"Alright, thank you Tea, for everything I mean." Mai said with a smile as she grabbed her violet clutch and began to leave the car. She stopped for half a second, and turned and gave the brunette a tight hug.

Tea had done a lot for her in the past couple of days. Listened to her problems, tried to give her advice, when out shopping with her, and reassured her when she got worried.

"No problem Mai, good luck on your date." Tea said with a smile as the two of them pulled out of the hug and Mai turned to leave the car.

"Thanks." Mai replied with a genuine smile, closing the car door and waving good bye.

As Tea drove away Mai felt her heart rate begin to speed up. She took a deep breathe and shook her head.

_I'll be fine. This will be easy. _She thought to herself. She walked over to the entrance to the diner and took a deep breathe before she grabbed a hold of the door handle and walked in.

The place was finely lit, and the smell of hamburgers and fries emitted from the kitchen. Mai didn't mind, it was a nice hang out. She did feel a little bit overdressed but she knew Joey was on a budget. She would have offered to pay but she knew he would never go for that.

_He is such a knucklehead. _She thought to herself with a light laugh.

She walked over to the front counter where a young girl with straight blonde hair was counting menus.

"Hi, I'm meeting someone here, can I just go in?" Mai asked politely, looking at the girl's name tag which said "Alexis" in bold font.

"Sure hold on; are you here for…Joey?" The girl asked as she checked the touch-screen table guide sitting on the counter.

"Yeah, that's who." Mai replied quickly, looking past the girl into the restaurant to see if she could see Joey inside.

"Okay, let me just get you a menu because I don't think they took an additional menu to his table." Alexis replied, grabbing a menu and gesturing for Mai to follow her into the restaurant.

"You seem young, are you working here part-time?" Mai asked, not realizing she was thinking out loud. But Alexis just nodded and continued walking in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm in my second year of high school. I just work here on Fridays for the side money." She explained. She stopped in front of a table and Mai felt her heart tighten.

"Here's your seat. Enjoy your dinner." Alexis said with a small smile, placing Mai's menu down and walking away.

Mai sat down and looked around. There was no one at the table.

"What the he-" She turned to call Alexis, but the blonde had already disappeared. All Mai could see and hear was the other customers at the diner who were eating and talking amongst themselves.

"Now where is Joey?" Mai asked herself impatiently, tapping her heel on the floor and crossing her arms over her chest.

Suddenly a blonde young man walked over to the table and froze just before sitting down.

"M-Mai, is that you?" Mai turned to look at the person who was clearly staring at her. She was about to ask who was asking when her eyes fell upon a handsome young man dressed in a black dress shirt with a silver tie, skinny black dress pants, and shiny black shoes.

Joey looked amazing no doubt.

"H-hey Joey. It's nice to see you." She couldn't help but stare at the table after she looked him up and down.

"It's nice to see you too Mai," He said as he took a seat. "You look beautiful."

Mai couldn't help but blush and smile at him.

She was definitely glad she had come.

xxx

**So, yeah we're gonna end it there. I know you guys probably want to kill me right now . But the next chapter will probably be the final one. Had a great time writing this, can't wait to finish it off. And what did you guys think of the Alexis cameo? I decided to add that in last minute. Anyways, R&R as usual. **

**-GeminiMercedes-**


	5. Denouement

Of Violet & Blonde

Polarshipping

xxx

"So have you been here before? Seems like your kind of scene." Mai asked, starting up a conversation as the two blondes began to look through their menus. Joey looked up and gave her his signature grin.

"Yeah a couple of times, this wasn't my first choice for a date. I actually wanted to take you to this other restaurant but I-I…" Joey trailed off and looked down. Mai watched as his shoulders slouched a bit and she couldn't help but winch when she realized what he was going to say.

"I love it." She said with a bright smile, placing her right hand over his left one and squeezing it lightly.

He looked up and smiled, which made her heart skip a beat.

"I'm glad." He said cheerfully, before looking back at his menu. Mai inwardly sighed in relief, glad she had been able to fix _that_ situation.

"So how did you get here? I hope it wasn't too out of the way for you. I know where you live but I really wanted to bring you here." The blonde with brown eyes asked his violet eyed date.

"Oh, it was no problem. Tea' dropped me off." Mai replied with a wave of her hand.

xxx

The two talked about a plethora of things. From school to this new duel monsters game that was apparently sweeping the nation. Apparently Yugi's grandfather thought it would be the next big thing and was already planning to build a game shop for the card game, attached to their home.

The two were so deep in conversation; they were completely oblivious to Alexis, their waitress, waiting in front of their table for about a minute.

The blonde waitress cleared her throat which grabbed the attention of Mai and Joey.

"Are you guys ready to order?" She asked politely, holding a notepad and pencil in her hand ready to write.

"Yup, you go ahead Mai, ladies first." Joey said to Mai, sending her a wink before looking back at Alexis.

"Why thank you Joey. Hmm, can I get the grilled chicken salad with a baked potato on the side?" Mai asked the young waitress politely.

"Grilled…with a potato…okay, got'cha. What about you?" The waitress reiterated, writing swiftly on her notepad.

"Can I get a hamburger with fries?" Joey asked.

"Typical Joey…" Mai said with a smirk, resting her head on the back of her palm. Joey blushed in embarrassment.

"H-hey, I'm a growing boy!"

Alexis smirked as she wrote down the order, watching the two blondes tease each other.

"Alright, I'll be back in a little while with your orders." She said swiftly before taking off in the direction she had come from.

"Anyways, so Joey, what do you plan on doing after you finish school?" Mai asked with genuine curiosity. Joey stared at the ceiling and placed his index finger on his chin like he was in deep thought.

"I'm not sure. Well first, I want to get my own place. And then I might think of trying that new Duel monsters game. Apparently they're going to start up tournaments and the prizes are usually large amounts of money. I don't know, we'll see, how about you?" He finished with a genuine smile on his face.

Mai smiled back and then looked down at her lap so her long hair covered her face. She didn't want to tell him that she planned to move after she was finished with college. She wanted to…travel. Maybe work on a cruise ship or in a passenger plane.

"I don't know. Maybe some exploring? I've been thinking about travelling, but I'm not sure yet. Plus, I've only just started college so I don't really have to think about all of that yet." She tried to seem as cheery as possible, but she knew better than most that time was known to fly, and if she ever decided to take extra courses over the summer again, that time would disappear even faster.

"That sounds cool, would you think of going with anyone?"

"W-what?" The question took her aback, and she struggled to come up with an answer. Oh course, you wouldn't have been able to tell that in her face.

_Poker face, Mai. _She told herself.

"Haven't thought about that actually, why, do you know anyone who would like to come with me?" The way she said it made it seem preposterous, but Joey's silence made it seem like he was thinking otherwise.

"Well I…" He was interrupted by Alexis returning with their meals.

"Okay so burger with fries for you…" She muttered as she placed a plate in front of Joey.

"And, Grilled Chicken Salad for you and here's your baked potato." She finished, as she placed Mai's meal on her side.

"Do you guys need anything else?" The icy blonde asked politely. Both Mai and Joey shook their head's in unison and that gave Alexis the cue to leave.

"Enjoy your meals!" She said with a smile as she walked away.

The two blonde's dug into their meals, all conversation ended since they were both hungry.

"Do you like your salad Mai?" Joey asked, as he took the last bite out of his burger. Mai giggled and rolled her eyes. She had barely finished her salad let alone _started_ on her baked potato and Joey was almost done his entire meal.

"Yes, it's really good. You didn't waste anytime on that burger huh?" She replied with a smirk. Joey blushed in embarrassment, but nodded in reply to her comment, putting on a toothy grin.

"I'm really enjoying myself here, Joseph. We should definitely come here again." Mai continued as she moved her bowl over to start on her baked potato.

"Definitely! I mean, you want to go out with me again?" He answered with happiness in his voice but the end of his sentence was covered in insecurity and fear. Mai smiled and leaned over the table to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course, I would love to go out with you again." She replied.

_Did I really just do that? Random burst of courage, for the win… _She thought to herself.

Joey's blush had turned even deeper, and he struggled to tell her that he felt the same about going out with her.

Suddenly the two blonde's heard snickering from a nearby table. Looking out at the tables beside their cubicle, they didn't see anyone watching them or laughing at them. They turned to the cubicles beside them, nodding at each other as they peered over their seats to investigate at the same time.

On Mai's side, the cubicle was empty. But on Joey's side…

"Tristan, Duke, Tea', Yugi, what are you guys doing here!" Joey screamed as he looked over his seat. Mai couldn't help but laugh at the realization that their friends had been spying on them.

She even heard Duke chastising Tristan from across the table.

"Dude, if you had just kept quiet we wouldn't have got caught!" The raven haired teen hissed.

"Whatever, it was getting mushy and I couldn't take it anymore!" Tristan hissed back.

"Why I oughta…" Joey growled angrily. Mai realized it was her time to step in.

"We can deal with them later Joseph, we have a date to finish."

And with that, Joey sat back into his seat, still heated, and the two blondes continued to talk.

After a quick dessert, Joey paid the bill (Mai insisted on going Dutch but he had _no_ intention of listening to her on that one.) and the two walked over to their friends, who were looking guilty.

"You all owe us favours, well except Tea' cause she helped me get ready for tonight and she's my ride." Mai commanded, winking at Tea' on the side.

"Thanks Mai, are you guys ready to go?" Tea asked softly.

"Yeah, I think so. Well Joey, I had a great time, I hope we can do this again sometime soon." Mai said with a warm smile, turning to Joey and grabbing his arm.

"Oh course, anytime Mai." Joey replied with a blush, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He turned to glare at Tristan and Duke who were sending him knowing looks.

"You guys are so in for it by the way!" Joey threatened as he continued to glare at his two guy friends.

"Anyways, we're off." Mai said with a wave to everyone, dropping Joey's arm from her grasp and turning on her heel before heading for the entrance. Tea' got up from her chair as well, but then turned to Joey and elbowed him in the gut. The blonde keeled over and clutched his lower abdomen with both of his arms.

"H-hey, what was that for?" He asked angrily, clutching his stomach.

"What are you waiting for, go follow her and do something right for once!" Tea' hissed.

Joey nodded and turned to follow Mai, missing the smirks his friends were sending him as he walked towards the door.

xxx

"Have a good night!" Alexis said as he opened the door to step outside. He turned to her and gave her a warm smile.

"Thanks, you too." He replied. The waitress nodded, and then turned to head back into the restaurant.

"Mai, are you out here?" He asked as he looked around. It was a lot darker now, and the stars were shining in the night sky as he stepped out of the diner.

"Yeah Tea' you ready to…oh hey Joey." Mai was standing right beside the door, staring at her phone. She placed it back in her clutch as she walked over to him.

"Is Tea coming? I really need to get home soon." The blonde explained. Joey nodded to her and then stared at the ground.

"Joey, what's wrong?" Mai asked with sudden concern. She stepped off of the curb and onto the parking lot before turning back to him.

_I have to do this! Now or never! _He thought to himself, holding on to all the courage he had left, he stepped towards her and kissed her.

It wasn't a long kiss, but passion isn't judged by length. He cupped her face in his hands and softly brushed his lips against her. It wasn't to make a statement, but to make a declaration.

"I really like you Mai, and I want to spend a lot more time with you." He said breathlessly as they pulled away. The kiss hadn't been that long, but the moment was breathtaking and he was still surprised that he had been the first one to make a move.

Mai had a shocked expression on her face but it quickly turned to one of happiness.

"I feel the same Joey." She replied softly, moving towards him and embracing him in a tight hug.

They both knew that this was the beginning of something truly special and _no one_ was going to take away from this moment.

Well, except for…

"Nice job Joey!" Tristan cheered from the restaurant door. Tea' slapped him over the head and shook her head.

"Yeah, finally Joey!" Duke added, dodging a swing from Tea' before laughing loudly.

"Oh, I'm gonna kill them!" Joey yelled angrily as Mai tried to hold him back, while trying to hold back laughs of her own.

_This is definitely going to be interesting. _She thought to herself.

xxx

**I hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I did. Something different and light and I definitely will make more of these. R&R and tell your friends about my channel! By the way what did you guys think of the ending? **

**-GeminiMercedes-**


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